ORIGINAL ARTICLE

The Influence of Magnetic Pulse Stimulation of Seeds on the Growth of Bread Wheat Triticum aestivum (L.) Seedlings under Osmotic Stress as a Factor in Enhancing Drought Resistance

Under conditions of soil drought characteristic of the Middle Volga regional climate, enhancing the drought resistance of bread wheat Triticum aestivum (L.) represents a priority task. Seed magnetopriming using a short-term, high-intensity pulsed magnetic field is considered a promising method for developing plant resistance to osmotic stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of magnetic pulse seed treatment on the growth processes and drought resistance of bread wheat Triticum aestivum (L.) seedlings under osmotic stress conditions. Wheat seeds were exposed to a pulsed magnetic field at inductions of B=1.4-3.6 Т. The optimal regime was selected at B=2.2 T with the number of pulses ranging from n=1 to n=10, which promoted the stimulation of plant growth during the early stages of ontogeny. This experimentally selected regime of physical exposure was applied to enhance the adaptation of seedlings to osmotic stress induced by polyethylene glycol-4000 at concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15%. It was established that preliminary magnetic pulse treatment of seeds stimulates root and shoot growth under osmotic stress conditions and contributes to a reduction in the generation rate of superoxide anion radicals in the roots of six-day-old seedlings. The obtained data indicate an increase in plant resistance indices to induced osmotic stress. Consequently, the application of the magnetopriming method via magnetic pulse seed treatment can contribute to mitigating oxidative stress under drought conditions. Further investigations into the mechanisms of plant adaptation to stress will focus on evaluating the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase) and the content of low-molecular-weight antioxidants (phenolic compounds, proline, ascorbic acid, carotenoids).